Starting and operating a trucking company is exhilarating as well as maddening. There’s little that matches the thrill of growing your business from nothing into a thriving enterprise. There’s also nothing more frustrating than working through the logistics -- the filings to receive your transportation authority, the paperwork, the memos, the hiring, the firing, the purchasing of trucks and maintaining of same, the coordinating of schedules and routes, negotiating the cost of fuel -- of operating a trucking company.
Below area few of the things you’ll soon find yourself expert in:
You’ll find soon enough that you have earned a “degree“ in freight law and acronyms. Your conversations will be filled with an alphabet soup of knowledge, as you familiarize yourself with the laws and licensing procedures you must follow as you operate a trucking enterprise.
For example, before you can register for the critical transportation authority known as the Motor Carrier authority, you’ll need a USDOT (United Stated Department of Transportation) number. Once you’ve been granted your DOT authority/ICC authority (Interstate Commerce Commission) you’ll need to register for the UCR (Unified Carrier Registration).
It’s important to understand the context of each acronym because you’ll find many different acronyms in the trucking industry refer to the same form or requirement. For example, the ICC authority is the same as a trucking authority, DOT authority and an MC number (MC means motor carrier).
In addition, if you’re going to be transporting goods across the country, you’ll need to learn each state’s specific rules and regulations.
For example, all states except Oregon will tax the fuel commercial motor vehicles you purchase and consume while traveling through their borders. You’ll need to report and pay those taxes, yet the way you’ll pay this depends on the combined or actual gross weight of your engine, your vehicle’s number of axles and its scope of operation.
Your Authority Service can help you navigate the many details of operating your trucking company. We can help you file and register for trucking authority, we can advise you on the best operation methods and we can even help you choose the proper type and amount of insurance you’ll need.